Real home: Stylist Briar Stanley overhauls lounge room

Online crystal purveyor Rachel Crethar, of Rock & Co, has been friends with stylist Briar Stanley since high school so when they teamed up with Pottery Barn to overhaul Rachel’s lounge room recently, it came together seamlessly. “I have known Briar since I was 13 years old, she is one of my best friends and I have always loved the eye she has for things. She also really gets my style, so I actually just gave her free reign! I wouldn’t have done this with anyone else, but it goes to show how much I trust her,” says Rachel.

Rock & Co’s Rachel Crethar in her newly styled lounge room

“Working with such a good friend, who I know really well, was really nice. I like to think I ‘get’ her tastes and know her likes and dislikes, so pulling the look together for the room was relatively easy,” says Briar who brought more of Rachel’s luscious outdoor area into her everyday life.

Located in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Marrickville, Rachel and her husband purchased their home 11 years ago and now live in it with their two children and family cat. “When we bought the place, it needed to be completely gutted. I think we were a little naïve as to just how intense it would be. It took us a year in total, with six months of planning and spending weekends steaming off wallpaper and then the builders came in and finished it,” says Rachel who confesses there was very little left to spend on styling the house after the renovation.

“We hadn’t really updated the furniture from when we first moved in. With all the money being syphoned into the renovation, most of the pieces were hand-me downs from parents – it was definitely in need of an update! Now we are in our thirties I was looking for something that felt fresh and modern, but a bit more grown up than our twenty-something space. I love the way Pottery Barn felt a bit more sophisticated but also suited our inner-west Sydney home,” says Rachel.

Briar styling the room — Briar styling cushions on Rachel’s new Pottery Barn ‘Cameron’ sofa

Briar kept the renovation front of mind when styling the space and brought the outside in with a lovely mix of house plants and Pottery Barn wares. “The space had to be comfortable and practical, while being sympathetic to the colours and the finishes of the gorgeous renovation the family completed a few years ago. The house has a lovely flow out to a very sweet backyard, so I kept that in mind when selecting the furniture and decorative items from Pottery Barn, which have a definite ‘elegant’ vibe about them – a word I’d use to describe Rachel herself!’ says Briar.

Rachel and Briar's friendship spans decades — Rachel and Briar’s friendship spans decades

After a busy career in media strategy, Rachel took time off to have two children before launching her business Rock & Co three years ago. “We sell crystals, books, essential oils and crystal infused beauty products, and we also run crystal introduction classes around Australia,” says Rachel whose favourite part of the lounge room makeover has synergy with her business. “My favourite piece is the coffee table because it displays some of my favourite books and crystals. I always love homes where you can walk in and see a person’s personality through their art and treasures,” says Rachel.